I tried to post this on the "Africa - Reference and Information" forum, but wasn't allowed to do so.

I would like to start a "Library" of good books about hunting in Africa. These can either be novels, like my #1 choice below, or non-fiction books, like my #2 choice.

I'll start:

1. "Horn of the Hunter", by Robert Ruark.

2. "A Hunter's Wanderings in Africa" by Frederick Selous.

3. P.H. Capstick's books (WARNING: This is not a continuation of another forum about his bona fides.) I enjoyed his books, and recommend them as good reads, both enjoyable and mildly instructive. Nuff said about that.

All others, please join in. I can't get enough of reading about Africa, and am saving my money and planning for my first safari.

Tight lines, straight shots, and good whiskey around campfires,

Bill T.

There are tons of good ones but above all I would recommend African Hunter Volume I and II.

Hunter by J.A. Hunter is also a favorite.

Basically anything Boddington has written would be my recommendation for a look at modern safari.

Mark

Teddy Roosevelts book on his safari with son Kermit, I think the title was African Game Trails.

Current favorites include Ruark's Horn of the Hunter already mentioned plus, in no particular order:

Horned Death by John Burger;
Heart of an African Hunter by Peter Flack;
The Hunting Imperative by Richard Harland;
Africa's Most Dangerous by Kevin Robertson;
Buffalo by Craig Boddington
Where Lions Roar by Bodddington; and
Nyati,The Art of Hunting the Cape Buffalo by African Hunter Magazine.

I'm reading Ian Nychens (sp) "Months of the Sun"....pretty good stuff. I've read most of PHC stuff...entertaining and a good read...of course now I know him as Crapstick.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

Bill,
All Capstick works are a good read

Into the Thorns by Wayne Grant

You'll find all the titles mentioned, plus about another 1500 African hunting related books here: http://www.shakariconnection.com/bookshelf.html

Prices start from US$1 per book

All the African hunting are good to some extent.

The Capstick reprint series books tell it like it was. They're great.

Months of the Sun is a great read, but shows that everyone is a hypocrite in some way.

And of course the bibles of John Taylor.

I would Highly recommend some of the other John Burger books, in addition to Horned Death. African Adventures, African Camp-Fire Nights, and African Jungle Memories. My favorite being Jungle Memories.

While not true hunting books "Something of Value" and "Uhuru" by Ruark are two of my favorite books.

Selous - Travel and Adventure in South-East Africa

Hemingway, if you want an example of great writing to go along with your story. It would probably help to read it half drunk or completely stoned like he was when he wrote the stories. His earlier stuff was the best. Besides, even if you don't like it your friends will think you have good taste when they see the books in your collection.

Boddington's stuff is much better than Taylor's crap and you won't have the urge to bugger natives after reading Boddington.

Perry

For me I loved the following

All of JA Hunters books, I wish there were more
All of Ruarks books
Horned Death
All of John Taylors books
Months of the Sun is great (reading it right now)
Boddington and Flacks books are good for modern safari ideas

+1 to most of the books mentioned.
Some Lions I Have Met Gordon Cundill
Elephant Hunters of the Lado Foran
Safari: A Dangerous Affair Prothero

Although it's not African hunting anything with Jim Corbett. Any hunting library isn't complete without Jim.

Ndlovu: The Art of Hunting the African Elephant by Richard Harland is another one to read. Lou Hallimore's Into The Salt and Chui are good books as well.

This subject has been discussed in length frequently in the AR Books and Videos forum.

Because so few AR members seem to go there, I'd like to suggest that Saeed close it.

Bill Quimby

A few of my favorites (not in any order) are:

*In brightest africa, carl akeley
*Hunting the dangerous game of africa, jk heath
*african hunter, Mellen
*white hunters, Brian herne
*memories of an african hunter, terry irwin
*last of old africa, Nicholson
*Adventures of an elephant hunter, sutherland
*Out in africa Andrew holmburg
all excellent reading!

quote:

Originally posted by billrquimby:
This subject has been discussed in length frequently in the AR Books and Videos forum.

Because so few AR members seem to go there, I'd like to suggest that Saeed close it.

Bill Quimby

Bill

That is the dilema that AR faces. Essently with little exeption if anyone wants to make their post most noticible they trend/tend to use AFRICA HUNTING as the entry point for their post.

Africa Hunting has become a prisoner of its own popularity.

I also tend to go along with your idea to close that and maybe other forums or to somehow bunch a few forums together as some are orphans without many others visiting

Cheers, Peter

Safari by Bartle Bull

Out in Africa by Holmberg

Trophy Hunter in Africa by Elgin Gates

Hunting, Settling and Remembering by Percival

Two of my favorites, The Flame Trees of Thika and The Mottled Lizard, by Elspeth Huxley.

I agree, Kathi. Bull's Safari offers a great survey of African hunters and hunting from the first Europeans who sailed to the Cape and rode north into the wilderness, right up to modern hunters and our jet- and vehicle-assisted safaris.

Also, if you like reading the old-timers' primary source material, get Roualeyn Gordon-Cumming's book. He was a wild man.

I picked up Craig Boddington’s new book TRACKS ACROSS AFERICA and was lucky enough to get both Craig and Ivan Carter to singe it for me.
Bill